A free trade agreement reached between the U.S. and Peru last week could be fatal for Peruvian farmers and AIDS patients.
The Analysis Group for Development conducted a study that states the agreement will mean losses of about $370 for rural families in Peru. One researcher with the group said the agreement was "immoral."
Peru’s largest farm union is planning a national strike as a response. In addition, the president of Peru’s Medical Federation said patent clauses in the deal will increase prices for medicines, making them inaccessible for many of the country’s sick and poor.
Some analysts see this agreement as a way to apply pressure to other Andean nations who have yet to agree to a regional trade pact being pushed by Washington.